Keyboard mechanism



Aug. 18, 1931 c. H. SAMPSON 1,819,975

KEYBOARD MECHANISM v Filed Feb. 18. 1929 L; Sheets-Sheet l 5.56 ATTORNEY& iNVENTOR l Aug; 18, 1931. c. H. SAMPSON KEYBOARD MECHANISM Filed Feb.18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,0 MWN INVENTOR W286 MSG/"p60" 711 ATTORNEY c.H. SAMPSON 1,819,975

KEYBOARD MECHANI SM Aug. 18, 1931.

Filed Feb. 18, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTOR GzarZe-s H. 6cm son251,3 ATTORNEY dtl Patented Aug. 18, V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAR-LES H. SAMPSON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR TO SAMPSON PERMA- GRAPH COMPANY, INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.CORPORATION OF NEW YORK KEYBOARD MECHANISM Application filed February18, 1929. Serial No. 340,846. I

The present invention relates to keyboard mechanisms for typewritingandother machines where a key board is employed for setting, positioningor operating devices or mechanisms. An object of this invention is toprovide anovel construction in which the key levers are of differentlengths but have a uniform action on members acted upon by the keylevers. Another object of the invention is to provide power operatedmeanscontrolled by the key board in such a manner that the power isbrought into action after a setting, positioning or operating action bykey operated members. Still another object of the invention is toprovide for controlling a clutch connection with a driving shaft.through a plurality of key operated members.

A further object of the invention is to provide locking means for keyoperated mem bers to look a shifted key in shifted position and/or tolock the non-shifted keys after the shifting of one key'in normalposition. A still further object of the invention is to provide alocking mechanism for a shifted and/or non-shifted keys controlled by ashifted key and operated by a power driven means.

To theseandother ends, the invention consists of certain parts andcombinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: thenovel features being pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: V

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a key board mechanism embodying thepresent invention; v

Fig. 2 is afragmentary vertical section on the line 22,'Fig.. 1 showingthe key levers in normal positions; p

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing one of the key levers shifted;

Fig. i is a detail sectional view showing the clutch and its controllingmeans;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the lin 55, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Fig: 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the equalizing levers between thekey levers and the slides, and

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the manner in which the locking barlocks the non-shifted key operated slides or member.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in a keyboard mechanism fortypewriting machines but it is apparent that it IS capable of use in anymachine where the functions of the mechanism may be utilized. Atypewriting machine in which the keyboard mechanism has been embodied isillustrated in an applicationfiled by me on January 18th, 1929, SerialNo. 333,300.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,,1 indicates the sides ofa supporting frame connected by a cross piece 2. Pivoted to the upperside of this cross piece 2 at 3 are the key levers 4 which have the keys5 at their outer ends, the keys being arranged in four rows so thatthere are four sets of levers of different lengths. Arranged on theunder side of the cross piece are movable members 6, in this instance,in the form of parallel slides which are normally held in forwardpositions by springs 7 each connected to one of the slides and also to acommon anchoring bar 8 connecting the forward portions of the sideframes 1.

Connection between each key lever 4 and one of the slides 6 isestablished, in this instance, by a device 9 which acts as an equalizingdevice, being, in this instance, pivoted at 10 to the cross bar 2 at theforward edge thereof and having two oppositely extending arms 11 and 12.The arms 11 on the entire set of equalizing levers 9 are the samelength, whereas three of four sets of arms 12 are of different le'n hscorresponding to the different sets 0 key levers The arms 11 abut theforward ends of the slides 6 whereas, the arms 12 abut projections 13 onthe under sides of the key levers 4, the longest set of arms cooperatingwith the longest key levers and at points more'remote from the pivots ofsuch levers than such arms on the other setsof equalizing levers and soon whereby each slide is moved the same distance by its key levernotwithstanding the differences in lengths of the key levers.

In the present invention each key lever controls the movement of threemovable members 14, 151i and 16, in this instance, in the tric relationthereto by arms 18 and with these rods engage projections 19 on theslides 6. Each slide has three of such pro ections and the projectionsvary in length on the dif- I ferent slides so that the amount ofmovement imparted by each shaft to the rock shafts vary, the longer theprojection, the greater amount of movement imparted to a rock shaft.

In addition to moving or positioning the rock shafts 14, 15 and 16, eachslide 6 also controls connection between a driving shaft 20 and a drivenshaft 21 which in my hereinbefore mentioned application effects themovement of a printing member to a position determined by the stops setby the rock shafts 14, 15 and 16. The connection in the presentconstruction is a clutch set forth in an application filed' by me onJanuary 18th, 1929, Serial No. 333,300 embodying a clutch member 22 onthe driving member having shoulders or abutments 23 for engagement by amovable part 23 )ivoted at 24 to the driven member 25 of the clutch. Aspring 26 acts on the movable part 23 to hold the latter yieldinglytoward the abutments 22 so that the two members of the clutch will turntogether. A shifter in the form of a stationary or fixed cam 26a acts onthe projecting end of the part 23 to move the latter out of engagementwith the abutments 23 so as to break connection between the driving andthe driven shaft. After the part 23 passes off the end of the shiftingcam 26a it comes to rest against a stop or abutment 27 which is spacedfrom the end of the cam. Opposite this space is arranged a detainingmeans which holds the part 23 on the abutment against shifting under theaction of the spring 26. This detaining means comprises,

two detents 28 and 29 copivoted at 30. The detent 28 has a spring 31normally urging such detent to detaining position. The detent 29 has aspring 31 normally urgin it to detaining position. Mounted on the etent29 is a pawl 32 which is pivoted at 33 to the detent 29 and is urged bya spring 34 toward a shoulder 35 on the detent 28. When the detent 29 ismoved as hereinafter described, the pawl 32 engages the shoulder 35 andshifts the detent until such a time that the pawl 32 engages anadjustable shifter 36 when the pawl is kicked out of engagement with theshoulder 35 and the detent 28-returns to detaining position before thedetent 29 is released so as to be in position to prevent the movablepart 23 movin under the action of the spring 26 off the a utment 27.

Movement of the detaining means is effected by the movement of any oneof the slides 6 and to this end a rock shaft 37 is mounted above andadjacent the rear ends of the slides and carries an eccentricallyarranged rod 38 which is arranged adjacent the rear ends of the slides 6to be engaged by the latter to turn the rock shaft when any one of theslides 6 is moved rearwardly. Also carried by the rock shaft is an arm39 which has a lost motion connection with the detaining meanscomprisinga pin 40 on the arm 39 operating in a slot 41 in a link 42which is pivoted at 43 to the detent 29. Through this means, themovement of any slide shifts the detaining means so that the drivingshaft 20 moves the driven shaft 21 one turn or revolution and the drivenshaft then comes to a full stop. The rotation of the driven shaft 21operates any suitable mechanism, Thelost motion connection is providedin order that the slides may shift the shafts 14, 15 and 16 before thedriven shaft begins to operate.

A locking mechanism is employed having the dual function of locking ashifted slide in shifted position until the driven shaft has made itsrotation and locking the other slides against movement when a slide hasbeen shifted away from normal position. In this instance, this lockingmechanism comprises a locking bar 44 carried, in this instance, by arms45 on a rock shaft 46 which is mounted on the frame of the machine inrear of the against return and the non-shifted slides against shiftingfrom normal position. The

locking bar is controlled by the driven shaft 21 and to this end, thelatter is provided with a cam 49 which acts on a lever 50 pivoted at51in rear of the shaft 21, a s ring 52 urging the arm toward the cam. Alink 53 is pivoted at 54 to an arm 45 of the rock shaft 46 and has aresilient connection with the arm 50 so that if the locking bar 44 meetsany unexpected obstruction the parts will not break. In this instance,the link 53 has a slot 55 in which a pin 56 on the arm 50 operates, anda spring 57 is inter osed between the link 53 and the arm 50. t willthus be seen that the turning of the shaft 21 moves the locking bar toand from looking position.

The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing butit may be summarized as follows: Depression of one of the key levers 4shifts through its equalizing lever 9 one of the slides 6. This slideacts on the three rock shafts or setting members 14, 15 and 16 and setsthem in positions determined by the lengths of the projections 19. Afterthis movement has been completed the shifted slide acts on the clutchcontrolling means and establishes connection between the power drivingshaft 20 and the driven shaft 21. Immediately the driven shaft starts toturn, the locking bar 44 moves into interlocking relation with theshifted memher 6 to hold the latter in shifted position and also movesinto interlocking relation with the non-shifted members 6 to hold themin normal position. The driven shaft continues to rotate until itperforms its functions, say shifting a printing member such as a typecylinder to printing position determined by the setting shafts 14, 15and 16 and then the clutch connection with the driving shaft 20 isbroken. As the clutch sto s, the cam 49 thereon permits the locking arto return to normal non-locking position.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a key board mechanism, the combination with a supporting bar, of akey lever pivoted on the upper side of the supportingbar, slides guidedon the under side of said bar, and equalizing levers pivoted to thesupporting bar in advance of the pivots of the key lever'and each havingan arm cooperating with a key lever and an arm cooperating with theforward end of a slide.

2. A keyboard mechanism comprising a plurality of key operated slides,each provided on one side with a locking abutment, a locking bar commonto all of the slides, and means operating on the movement of any one ofthe slides to effect the movement of the locking bar to engage theabutment on the shifted slide to hold said slide against return and alsoto lie in the ath of the non-shifting slide to prevent the sfiifting.

3. A keyboard mechanism comprisinga plurality of key operated slides, arock shaft having a portion eccentric thereto and extendinglongitudinally thereof and arranged to be engaged by the ends of all theslides, a motor driven member and a clutch controlled by the motordriven member and controlled by said rock shaft.

4. A keyboard mechanism comprising a plurality of key operated slides, arock shaft arranged transversely of and to one side of the slides andhaving an eccentrically arranged longitudinal extending portion, andprojections of various lengths extending laterally from said slides andcooperating with said eccentrically arranged portion to impart to therock shaft different amounts of movement.

5. A keyboard mechanism comprising a plurality of key lovers ofdifferent lengths, a plurality of slides to which the same amount ofmovement is to be imparted from the key carrying levers,'and a pluralityof swinging members pivoted independently of the key levers and theslides at points in advance of and above the slides and interposedbetween i the slide and below the key, having two arms one extendingupward and cooperating with the key lever and the other extendindownwardly and cooperatin with the sli e.

CHARL S H. SAMPSON.

